Le Quartier Latin: 

We opted to sign up for two “Free Walking Tours” run by Chris. You book a space in the group which has a maximum of 15 spaces, and show up at the start of the walk. At the end of the walk you pay what you think the tour was worth to you. The unwritten guide was €10/person which was much less than the going rate for commercial walking tours. Travel Tip - we would recommend doing the walking tours with Chris, if he is still running them; he was hoping to complete his art studies in Holland. The first tour focused on the Latin Quarter, starting at Cathédrale Notre Dame, a structure with an interesting history, even more so with the tragic fire of April 2019. Over the centuries the Cathedral had fallen into disrepair several times to the point that it was going to be torn down at the beginning of the 19th century. That was till Victor Hugo led a campaign to save the building by writing The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The success of this new style of novel precipitated the growth in interest in preserving a society’s architecture, in this case Gothic architecture. It is a massive structure which becomes apparent when you approach the giant front doors or absorb the size of the buttresses that are used to hold up the roof over the nave. We consider ourselves fortunate to  have seen Notre  Dame before the fire.

After crossing the Seine to the left bank, we encountered a very different landmark -  Shakespeare and Company a bookstore founded by an American. It is very much a hub of activity with long queues of people waiting to get in. The location is a magnet for public debates and musical performances. When we were there, several groups of Americans were asking their fellow citizens if they were registered for the upcoming mid-term elections [November 2019]. We didn’t identify anyone supporting the Republicans! Like so many places in Paris, it’s a great people watching spot, even if you don’t go into the bookstore. A central feature of Le Quartier Latin is Université Sorbonne, which has immediate “name recognition” around the world. However, Chris,  our tour guide, believes that its international reputation is not shared within France. He believes the entry requirements are minimal and the courses lack rigour. Many of the original buildings are no longer used - with courses being taught in sterile 1960’s edifices across the city. The neighbourhood, however, is home to perhaps the most prestigious high school in all of France  Lycée Louis Le Grand on Rue St-Jacques. The school claims Molière, Voltaire and Hugo among its alumni as well as 3 Presidents of the 20th century. 

Just a few hundred meters away is the Pantheon - a religious building still used as a place of worship, but better known as the burial place for the rich and famous of Paris society. The chequered history reflects the ebb and flow of French revolutionary history. The Pantheon was built just before the French Revolution whose leaders determined that it should serve as a mausoleum rather than a church. Among those buried at the Pantheon are Voltaire, Rousseau, Hugo, Braille, Marie Curie.

Just east of the Pantheon are Les Arènes de Lutèce - it would be easy to miss this archaeological gem when walking along the busy Rue Monge. This amphitheatre which dates back to Roman times was used for theatrical performances as well as gladiatorial combat. Over the centuries, the amphitheatre was damaged, plundered and eventually buried only to be rediscovered in the 1860’s when Rue Monge was being built and they were making plans for a tram depot on the site.

With the tour over, we felt a little peckish so went looking for a light lunch. This took us along Rue Mouffetard to the Place de la Contrescarpe . Close by, we enjoyed a tasty, inexpensive curb side lunch at Boulangerie L’Essential-Mouffetard.  Suitably refreshed, we ambled through the streets of the 5th arrondissement towards the Seine crossing Boulevard St Germain.